


the wonder of wonderland

by beaniebbz



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alice in Wonderland References, Alternate Universe, Ambiguous/Open Ending, CheshireCat!Gon, Fairy Tale Elements, First Kiss, Inspired by Alice in Wonderland, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Out of Character, gon is a chaotic neutral, i love him though, leopika if you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-15 05:22:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29803572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beaniebbz/pseuds/beaniebbz
Summary: Killua Zoldyck just needs someone to guide him through the forest; Wonderland is full of twisting and turning paths that are nearly impossible to not get lost on.Gon Freecss is always willing to help, if not for a small price.
Relationships: Gon Freecs/Killua Zoldyck
Comments: 19
Kudos: 57





	the wonder of wonderland

**Author's Note:**

> this fic is fully inspired by chap 19 of "At Your Request" by DecemberCamie! it is by far the best drabble i have ever read, and i couldn't resist writing my own take on it. pls read their version [here!](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10617651/chapters/25675764) :)

Killua is completely and utterly lost. 

He’s _sure_ that the girl with white rabbit ears atop her head went into this forest. She—Amane, if Killua recalls correctly—was hardly a fingertips length away, but when Killua blinked she suddenly vanished as if never there in the first place. 

It is beyond irritating. He’s tried to decipher the tens of hundreds of signs sitting at the edge of the woods to no avail; signs that point up are labeled down, signs that point left are labeled right, and more than half of them simply say _this way_ and _that way_. Judging by how quickly Amane disappeared, Killua searched the area looking for a tunnel, maybe, or a hidden path that he didn’t see the first time. The attempt is futile. 

There are too many well-worn trails laying in front of him. Killua prides himself in his ability to _think rationally,_ and going down one of these twisted paths without knowing what’s at the end of it does not sound like a good idea at all. Killua could always turn around; the bright light of a yellow sun is still shining behind him, mocking. It contrasts with the darkness of the forest unpleasantly. Earlier, when counting the number of signs and trails, the blond almost thought he saw eyes glittering in the shadows. Hundreds. 

He’s prepared to steel himself and go in the least threatening direction when there is the sound of a twig snapping on his right, the crack reverberating through the trees. Killua instantly stiffens and whips around towards it; when panicked eyes finally dart around the area, he finds nothing. 

A breath of relief. He mentally kicks himself, because of _course_ there will be animals stepping on sticks in a forest. This entire place is leaving him on edge, even more so than usual, and Killua’s probably going to develop premature wrinkles at the ripe age of seventeen from the stress of it. Regardless, it’ll be worth it in the end—Amane had muttered many nonsensical things, but also a name that Killua recognized: Alluka. It gave him a strange sense of deja vu; he _has_ to find out who this person is. 

_Alluka_. Why does the name sound so familiar on his tongue? Killua has a distinct feeling that he should know who this is, should be following the rabbit-girl to this _Alluka_ with desperate urgency, and has not the slightest clue as to why. He’s always been one for trusting his intuition, though, the thing that has kept him alive throughout the years, and doesn’t plan on doubting that gut feeling now. 

A soft humming snaps him out of a daze, coming in the opposite direction that the twig snapped. Killua jerks around yet again, scanning his surroundings, and his eyes settle on a boy lazily resting on a low tree branch. Killua’s eyebrows nearly shot up into his hairline at the sight; this person was _not_ there just moments prior. He would have heard them climb up the tree, too, with sticks and rocks and all sorts of noisy things surrounding it. 

Killua stares at him for a moment and the boy stares back, continuing to lowly hum a tune Killua thinks he’s heard somewhere else before. He’s wearing a black and green striped tank top despite the chill in the shadows, with green pants to match. He’s barefoot. Killua guesses that they are probably around the same age—the other looks tall, with black hair and skin many shades darker than the pale rabbit’s was. 

The singing abruptly stops and Killua flinches at the silence, instantly craving the sound again. It feels like he’s been listening to it for years; the lack of it is suffocating for a moment, making him feel a bit delirious, but that’s ridiculous. The boy must have been humming for only a couple of seconds. 

“Lose something?” The stranger finally speaks. His eyes dance with mischief and mirth and everything _bad_. Killua can’t look away from them, mesmerized. 

“Um,” Killua starts. _Did_ he lose something? It’s unknown. “Perhaps.” 

“Mhm, perhaps.” He echos. He shuffles so that his knees grip around the branch and lets himself fall downwards so quickly that Killua thinks he might slip. The brunet doesn’t, hanging off of the tree and now looking at Killua upside-down. A sliver of tan skin around his stomach is revealed by gravity and Killua has to forcibly rip his gaze away from it. 

“I’m sorry, but do I know you?” 

The boy laughs loudly, mouth unnaturally wide. Killua swears he catches a glimpse of pointed canines. “You’re not Sorry, silly, you’re Killua!” 

Killua blinks slowly. Trepidation swirls in his gut; this person seems dangerous, but not in a way that makes him fear for his own safety. Killua can’t put his finger on it.

“How do you know my name?” 

“We all know your name!” The brunet replies with a light and airy voice. “Wanna learn mine?”

A small, hesitant nod, and the stranger grins. He claps his hands. “It’s Gon! My name is Gon Freecss.”

He doesn’t give Killua time to respond, legs loosening from their hold on the tree branch and sending him flying towards the ground. Killua takes a large step forward—maybe in an attempt to catch him, he’s not sure—but when Gon’s head is mere inches from the hard forest floor, his entire body disappears. 

Killua’s jaw drops and he quickly rushes over to the spot where the brunet had vanished. There is no trace of anything hitting the dense plants surrounding the tree; Killua angrily huffs out a breath, not appreciating this phenomenon happening for the _second_ time today. Gon has been the only person Killua has seen in _hours_ , and his chance at navigating the forest slips out of his hands like miniscule grains of sand. 

_“Boo,”_ A voice whispers from behind him, near Killua’s ear. The blond swivels and throws a fist on reflex but Gon blocks it, knuckles colliding with a tensed arm. Gon gives an impressed whistle at the impact. 

“That wasn’t very nice,” Gon observes, gingerly pressing down on the already-forming bruise. His smile betrays his words. “You’re rather strong, you know.”

“How did you do that?” Killua spits; the compliment is ignored. 

“Do what?”

The teen splutters. “ _That!_ You disappeared!” 

“I don’t recall,” He says, dreamy. “But let’s say, hypothetically, if I _did_ —would you miss me?” 

His words ring throughout Killua’s ears as if whispered through a megaphone. The blond finds himself flushing without meaning to, cursing his pale skin for betraying him. This boy is already one of the strangest things he’s come across while traveling through this place; that’s including those cakes that made electricity dance over his fingertips and bend to his will. 

“That’s- that’s _preposterous_ ,” Killua denies, flustered. “I’ve only just met you!” 

Gon’s expression turns sorrowful in an instant. “Dear me, I _know!_ Isn’t that cruel?” 

_Is it?_ The blond thinks to himself. Most of the beings here have expressed regret for Killua not coming sooner, but this complaint feels different. More personal. 

The stranger turns on his heel and walks towards the biggest cluster of signs, all of them facing opposite directions. He narrowly avoids one that is the size of a mere clementine; it seems like it’s designed for something as small as a mouse. But that would be silly, because mice cannot read. 

Killua’s brow furrows. Or, they _shouldn’t_ be able to read, at least. He’s finding the majority of things that have happened today to be most unpredictable. 

“Oh, by the way,” Gon suddenly drawls, making his vowels lengthy. “If you’d really like to know; she went that way.” 

He points down the trail that Killua had been avoiding. It’s the most overgrown, with thorns and branches poking out from its sides. 

“Who did?” Killua asks.

“The White Rabbit,” Gon sends him another crooked smile. “Amane.” 

_Right._ Killua had nearly forgotten who he was chasing in the first place; being in this forest makes his head fuzzy, memories blurring together easily. 

“She did?” He confirms with narrowed eyes. 

“She did what?” 

“Went that way.” 

“Who did?”

Killua groans, exasperated. “Amane, Gon! Do you know where she went or not?” 

Gon finally sobers up a bit, looking delighted at the sound of his name coming out of Killua’s mouth. He holds up a finger in front of the other teen’s face, so close that Killua goes cross-eyed trying to see it, and turns around to think about something. Killua stares at his back for a moment and listens to the buzz of the forest; there’s an owl hooting in the distance, strangely mechanical. He gets the feeling that they are being watched, but his senses are so fried with nerves that he could be making it up. 

The brunet faces him again with another borderline creepy grin. “Yes, I do know where she went. You’ll never catch her though. Besides, it’s tea time—your best bet would be to go to the Hare’s or Hatter’s and catch up with Amane later.” 

_Hare’s or Hatter’s_. Killua nods slowly; he doesn’t trust Gon, not in the slightest, but what other options are there? “Okay, then. Will you tell me how to get there? To, uh, the Hare’s, yeah?” 

“The Hare’s, hmm? It would be my pleasure, Killua,” Gon crows. The other teen says Killua’s name in a way that he has never heard before. “But for a price, of course.” 

“A price?” He questions, heart sinking. He doesn’t have his wallet on him and doubts that Gon would want that sort of money anyway; currency here is most certainly not the same as back home. “What do you have in mind?” 

Gon hums, similar to the sounds he was making when they met. He takes a couple of steps forward into Killua’s personal space until they are only a foot apart. Killua straightens when Gon glances at him from head to toe, slow and deliberate, eyes dancing with glee. 

“I’ll accept a kiss on the cheek.” 

It takes a few moments for the teen’s words to set it and Killua’s face lights on _fire_ ; his cheekbones positively flame at the idea. Out of all the absurd requests Gon could make, Killua expected this one the least. He doesn’t even know anything about the brunet other than his _name!_ A kiss on the cheek is laughable at best, and Killua simply will not put up with such a stupid demand. 

Although, he kind of doesn’t have a choice. Killua refuses to go down a path by himself at this point—the day is slowly bleeding into the night and his intuition hisses at the mere idea. There would be trouble in refusing Gon’s offer, surely. 

_It could be worse_ , Killua reasons. He doesn’t know what _worse_ entails and isn’t keen on finding out. Besides, Gon is… handsome. Really handsome. He mentally kicks himself at the thought, hoping that mind-reading is not among this magical boy’s list of specialties. 

“Fine,” Killua whispers, more for his own benefit than Gons. “Fine, I’ll do it. A kiss on the cheek in exchange for directions, right?” 

Gon stays silent and responds with a wink. Killua takes that as a _yes_ , waiting a second for the brunet to at least have the decency to offer his cheek, but no such opportunity presents itself. He just stands there, expecting; Killua kind of wants to hit him again at the audacity. Killua steps closer, maneuvering around Gon’s perfectly still stature, and pauses when he gets just a couple of inches from a freckled and tanned cheek. 

_For fucks sake_. 

Killua rocks forward and presses a dry kiss on Gon’s face, squeezing his eyes shut and trying his best to ignore how hot his own is. He reels back quickly and steps away from the teen; his eyes are pointedly facing towards the ground.

“Aw,” Gon whines with a lilt. Killua looks up at the protest to see Gon barely brushing the spot where his lips were with his fingertips, thrilled. “That was too quick, too quick! Another?” 

“Absolutely not!” Killua nearly yells. He really _is_ about to hit him. “You _promised_ you would take me to the Hare’s!” 

“Mm, no I didn’t… I never make promises unless they are _really_ important, Killua,” Gon corrects, fingers still ghosting over his cheek. The blond feels his heart sink somewhere close to his stomach. “But don’t make that face, silly, I’m still showing you the way!” 

Killua exhales a breath of pure, unadulterated relief. He thought that he got scammed of a kiss by a stranger in the middle of the forest—the thought is so foolish that Killua can’t stop the giggle escaping his mouth. 

“Is something funny?” 

Killua shakes his head. Gon shrugs, mouth upturned into that eerie smile again. Killua was right, earlier—his canines _are_ sharp, grin showcasing too many teeth to seem natural. 

“Alrighty, then,” Gon says, turning towards a large path. “Just follow me!” 

Killua closes his eyes for a second, just to blink, and Gon is suddenly squatting on a tree branch thirty feet away. He waves his arms like he’s mad, beckoning Killua to come closer and closer. 

“Hurry up, Killua!” Gon calls, always ahead. “It’s just up here. You’ll see his house in no time.”

  
  


* * *

  
  


Killua sees Gon much sooner than he anticipated. Just like the boy had said, the house wasn’t very far—he had turned to thank Gon, but he was out of sight. 

The house, it turns out, is completely fucking _empty_. The door was unlocked though no one was home; Killua tried calling out for someone but received no answer. There isn’t even a note to explain where everyone could have gone. There must be several people who live here, judging by the number of chairs around their dinner table, but no matter how many times Killua knocks on the door, not even the chatter of a squirrel makes a noise. 

There’s a couple of sweets in the fridge that Killua hesitantly takes, now cautious of what they can do, and he slips them into his backpack. He isn’t sure what is supposed to happen next, now; obviously, the tea party is _not_ being held at the Hare’s, and Killua is sure that Gon knew that. That means that the only other logical option is that his party is gathered at the _Hatter’s_ instead—though, common sense doesn’t get him far in this world, so he could be wrong. 

That’s what led him to his current predicament: standing in front of three identical paths, with one of them _supposedly_ leading to Hatter’s. At the house, there was a sign labeled so and pointing down the dirt road Killua is standing on. The sign never mentioned that the trail would suddenly fork off in three separate ways. The winding and twisting roads in this place are infuriating; Killua has no idea how anyone knows where they are going. 

_Fine._ Killua swallows his pride and admits it. _I’m fucking lost. Again_. 

He wonders if Gon is still around. If Killua calls for him and he _isn’t_ , then the blond might bring unwanted attention towards himself. Not all of the creatures in this forest are friendly; Killua’s still trying to decide if Gon is one of the said creatures. 

He eyes the three paths one last time, squinting and hoping an answer reveals itself. It does not, unfortunately, and Killua isn’t too eager to choose the wrong way and somehow end up near that spotted beast again. Or those twin girls—what were their names? Elena and Eta, maybe—who finished each other's sentences in the creepiest way imaginable. Or, if Killua was _really_ unlucky, he’ll end up in that woman's garden once more; she had long, tangled hair and hollow eyes, and carried around the largest knife Killua has ever seen in his entire life. He shudders at the thought. 

Yes, Killua could deal with anything but her again, thank you. He takes a deep breath and sends a little prayer up above. 

“Gon?” The white-haired teen calls hesitantly into the fork in the road. “Gon, are you still around? I, um, need some help again.” Nothing by silence greets him and Killua frowns. 

He tries a second time. “Gon? Hello? I need some directions.” There’s another small silence, and for a second Killua thinks that Gon actually might not be there. 

“You should say please when asking for a favor,” A hushed whisper finally replies. It seems to come from everywhere and nowhere all at once; Killua can’t pinpoint his exact location. “It’s only polite.” 

Killua resists gritting his teeth. He doesn’t know if he’s thankful or irritated at the familiar voice now that Gon’s presence has been confirmed. He’s probably been watching Killua stare at these three roads for a long time, opting to stay silent. 

_“Please,”_ The blond corrects. “Could you _please_ help me, again?” 

“I would _love_ to.” 

Killua watches as Gon’s smile appears a couple of feet away from him, materialization starting with his teeth and slowly making its way to his messy hair. Seeing Gon fade into sight is uncomfortable, a reminder that Killua is human; Gon is not. 

“I missed you,” The teen says when he finally becomes solid form. His smile is lopsided. 

“I wasn’t gone for long.” _And you don’t know me well enough to miss me_ , he doesn’t add.

Gon hums, feet floating off of the ground until it looks like he’s laying on an invisible bed. He casually drifts over to Killua. “Time works differently in Wonderland. It felt like _hours_.” 

_Wonderland_ , Killua mouths to himself. He finally has a name for this peculiar place that he landed himself in. He ducks when Gon gets too close, floating over his head and laughing even though no one said anything funny. 

“How come you didn’t show yourself earlier?” Killua demands. “I’ve been staring at these roads for a while now. You knew I was lost.” 

The brunet peers at him with an elbow propped up on thin air. “Mm, yes. It’s easy to get lost here.” 

Even Killua has to admit that Gon’s ability to dodge direct questions is impressive. It is also _maddening_. 

“Do I need to remind you that I’m lost because of _you?_ _You_ took me to the wrong house! I need to go to the tea party, moron!”

“But you asked for directions to the Hare’s house,” Gon points out innocently. “It’s not my fault. Everyone knows that tea time on Wednesdays is at the Hatter’s, not Hare’s.”

The teen feels his eye twitch. “I don’t _live_ here, Gon. So no, not _everyone_ knows that, you-” He takes a deep breath to calm himself. Killua can’t afford for Gon to get offended and leave, no matter how much he wants to curse the other out. “Okay, okay, you’re right. It was my mistake. Could you take me to the Hatter’s then, this time?” 

Gon readjusts so that he’s now standing upright in the air; he looks down at Killua with wide, clear eyes and smirks. Killua _hates_ that it’s attractive. 

“It would be my pleasure,” The brunet all but purrs, sinking so that his feet touch the ground. “Ah, but you’ll have to do something for me again.” 

Killua’s mouth flattens out into a straight line. He expected as much, sure, but it was still nerve-wracking to hear. “What would you like this time? Another kiss on the cheek?” 

“Tempting,” Gon sighs dreamily, looking like his head is somewhere in the stratosphere. Killua briefly wonders if it ever comes back down to earth. “But no. I was thinking, maybe…” 

He trails off and dances even closer to the blond. Killua returns his eye contact despite how it makes him want to squirm; his mind tells him to _run,_ though Killua isn’t quite sure from what. He can guarantee that Gon would never hurt him. 

The other teen’s gaze slowly drifts down to Killua’s lips and he stiffens, spine straightening and fists clenching. He’s never met a person so _shameless_ , the only red on Gon’s face coming from the beginnings of a sunset above the trees. 

“Maybe,” Gon continues, not looking away. “This time, you could give me a real kiss.” He abruptly turns his stare back up to gloss over Killua’s red cheeks. The intensity from the previous statement has faded, leaving his normal, playful pitch once more. “Hmm? So, what do you think?” 

“I think,” Killua starts with tight lungs. It leaves him a bit breathless. “That I don’t have any better options.” 

Gon laughs as if Killua just told him the funniest punchline that he’s ever heard, bowing over and clutching his stomach. He giggles for a straight minute, at least—when he finally stands back up, winded, his eyes look a little… 

Crazy. He looks fucking crazy. Positively _insane_ , and Killua is flabbergasted that he isn’t opposed to kissing the lips connected to such a person. What does that say about _him?_

“No tricks this time,” Killua warns. “You have to walk me all the way to the party, got it?” 

“How chivalrous of me, escorting you to the party,” The sides of Gon’s mouth quirk upwards for the nth time. It still sends chills down Killua’s back. “Sure, Killua! All you had to do was ask.” 

The white-haired boy forces his face to relax. “Alright. Just _one.”_

Gon beams, radiating with joy, and politely glues his hands to his sides; it allows Killua to do everything at his own pace. The gesture would be touching if Gon wasn’t secretly a _fiend_. Killua crosses the distance between them but quickly freezes up when Gon’s stare becomes unbearably heavy. 

“Close your eyes,” He snaps with a hot face. “And stop standing like that. I feel like I’m about to kiss a mannequin.” 

A loud laugh is expected. “You are so _funny_ ,” The teen compliments. “I just wanted to look at your face, that’s all. You're really pretty!” 

Killua slaps his shoulder, relishing in the sharp sound it makes. Gon makes a pained noise but doesn’t shy away; his eyes flicker around the blond’s pink cheeks. 

“If you don’t fucking _shut up_ , I won’t do it.” 

Gon immediately obliges, eyes slipping closed and stance becoming loose. Killua blushes even harder at how willing and eager he is; Killua had never been called _pretty_ before, especially not so truthfully, and the praise sends about a million butterflies swarming in his stomach. He ignores them as he leans in, tilting his face for the perfect angle, and finally connects their lips. 

Feeling Gon’s lips slowly stretch into a smile underneath his own is undoubtedly pleasant. The brunet tastes like pure sugar—Killua doesn’t know why he’s surprised. This boy is the most perplexing and magical person that he has ever met. He knows that he should probably pull away, at this point, but can’t find enough willpower to do so. Killua finally stops moving his lips when his lungs start to burn, leaving Gon with a parting peck to the corner of his poorly-disguised grin. 

Killua doesn’t know when a hand moves up to hover just over Gon’s chest, almost making contact, but rips it away as if burned regardless. How utterly mortifying. He opens his eyes to reveal Gon already staring back, probably never keeping them closed in the first place. 

Gon must have noticed the traitorous limb that nearly pressed against him because he’s looking at Killua’s hand with mirth glossing over his wide eyes. Killua barely resists hiding it behind his back, away from the teen’s prying glances.

“O-okay,” Killua speaks first, voice cracking. He clears his throat. “Okay. Which way?” 

“Mmm, right. You can pick any.” 

A beat of silence. 

_“What?”_ The blond asks sharply, hoping he misheard. That’s impossible, though; Gon is still so close that Killua could count his individual eyelashes if he chose to. 

Gon’s smile is wicked, roguish. He puts a finger up to his lips as if shushing Killua, voice breathy like he’s telling a secret. “All three paths go to the same place, silly! Go ahead, choose one!” 

This time, Killua cannot resist the temptation to flick Gon right on his stupid forehead. 

  
  


* * *

  
  


Wonderland keeps on getting curiouser and curiouser; Killua finally meets Hare and Hatter, whose more common names are Kurapika and Leorio, respectively. Their crazed eyes light up when seeing Gon, hooting and hollering, and the commotion causes a voice from inside a teapot to scream shrilly. 

“Is there something in there?” Killua finally asks once he’s sat at their messy, unorganized table. He points to the porcelain. 

Kurapika follows his finger. He’s the most down-to-earth of the group, Killua’s noticed, and it’s like breathing in a gulp of fresh air. 

“Just Bisky,” He replies, tucking a stray strand of blond hair behind his ear. “Perhaps I should wake her. We do have _the_ Killua as our guest, you know.” 

Of course Killua knows, since it _is_ him. He watches as Kurapika taps on the teapot, opening the lid and peering in. Gon is floating behind Killua, chin resting atop his head and fingers lazily pulling at white curls. The action is somewhat soothing. 

A small hand reaches out of the opening, poised in a crude gesture. A girl follows it; she’s wearing a poofy pink dress, hair separated into pigtails. 

“Bisky,” Leorio gasps. “Look at who’s here! Gon brought _Killua!”_

The tiny figure glances up at them. She smiles when she sees Gon, squeaking a quiet greeting, and then walks to the edge of the table and promptly jumps off. 

Killua is almost concerned for a second; the feeling dissipates when the aforementioned girl grows right before his very eyes, stopping when she appears like a normal twelve-year-old. He blinks at her, not even finding it within himself to be surprised anymore. 

“What brings you to Wonderland?” Bisky asks once she's comfortable in her newly acquired seat. She narrowly dodges a cake that Leorio throws in her direction and the rest of the table giggles maniacally at the sight. Killua can feel gleeful puffs of breath against his hair. 

“I’m trying to find the White Rabbit,” Killua answers over the chatter of Kurapika and Leorio’s loud conversation—something about a pair of red eyes and tea. “She mentioned a name that I know.” 

“Amane,” The blonde acknowledges. Her nose twitches much as a mouse would. “And what name piqued your interest?” 

“Alluka.” 

All motion at the table stops. Leorio is frozen in place from where he was stretching one of Kurapika’s eyes wide with his thumb and index finger; the weight on Killua’s head suddenly disappears and he looks up. Gon is nowhere to be seen. 

Leorio removes his hand from Kurapika’s face, allowing the younger to finally blink, and adjusts his lopsided glasses. It’s the most serious that Killua has seen him so far. 

“Alluka,” The man parrots. He takes a sip of the god-awful tea sitting at their table. “What about her, exactly?” 

Killua ponders for a moment. Even he isn’t quite sure. “Her name is familiar. I get the feeling I’m forgetting something, and I want to remember.” 

The remaining three party members share a glance amongst themselves. Something must pass in agreement because Kurapika leans closer to waggle fingers in front of Killua’s face in an almost condescending manner. His rings make an obnoxious jingling sound. 

“You better hurry up, then,” He advises. There’s a flash of a small smile. “I heard that the prince is planning on executing her in two days' time. You wouldn’t want to meet with a dead girl,” Kurapika pauses for a second, eyes going wide. _“_ Unless… _would you?”_

“ _What?_ No, I don’t want her dead! Why is she getting executed?” 

Kurapika leans back and shrugs. Leorio copies the movement. “Dunno,” They reply in unison. 

Great. How useless.

“We can take you to the castle,” Bisky offers. She wrings her hands together. “That’s where they’ve got her locked up. We don’t like it there, but you’re _Killua_ , so we would do it.” 

“The castle?” Killua repeats with a raised eyebrow. 

“Mhm… that’s where Amane is, too. She’s a Zoldyck butler.” 

The mention of the name _Zoldyck_ sends a white-hot flash of pain right to the center of his forehead. He cries out and cradles it, thoughts smothered by the injury. He’d almost had it, just there—felt the answer to all of his questions in a suppressed memory. It pours over him like oil and water, and within seconds Killua forgets what triggered such pain entirely. 

He looks up to find the table staring at him with pale faces. “What?” 

“Nothing, nothing!” Leorio rushes to say. He jabs Kurapika in the side, chairs close enough for the movement to be almost imperceptible. 

“Right!” The blond’s voice goes high for a second. “We should start heading there straight away. To the castle, of course.” 

Bisky drops ten sugar cubes into a half-empty cup of tea. “ _After_ tea time!” 

The tension eases and the table explodes into ear-splitting giggles. Killua finds himself grinning too, though he isn’t quite sure why; maybe the insanity is starting to rub off on him. His forehead throbs. 

“I need a cake,” The girl suddenly announces once their commotion dies down yet again—their randomness is becoming more and more familiar. Killua doubts that she _needs_ any more sugar after the excessive amount poured into her beverage, but he honestly has no room to judge. 

Leorio makes a noise of disagreement. “No, no, mushrooms! I need some mushrooms. I _love_ mushrooms.” 

Killua remembers the treats lying in his bag, courtesy of Kurapika’s fridge. He bends down to grab them out of a snug pocket, cringing at some of their deformities but passes them around the table nonetheless. Bisky squeals in delight. 

“This is going to sound crazy,” Kurapika says, staring at the frosted dessert in front of him. “But I have these _exact_ cakes back home.” Leorio howls with laughter and claps him on the back good-naturedly; the other man doesn’t react to the touch, glaring at the cake as if it offended him personally. 

“I still need some mushrooms, though. Killua! Do you have mushrooms, too?” 

“Oh… no.” 

“Then go get some!” Bisky splutters with icing lining her mouth. “See, just go down that path over there turn right, then left, then left, then walk straight, then right! We can start traveling after finishing dinner.” 

Killua isn’t sure when _tea time_ blended into _dinner_ and is kind of grossed out by the desired combination, but nods. He’s slowly but surely learning that it’s better to go along with what the creatures of Wonderland suggest rather than fighting it. He gets up and excuses himself from the table, but his company hardly hears; there is now a full-fledged food fight taking place and Killua nearly loses an eye to a stray cookie. 

He hardly heard the directions that Bisky provided him. They would be practically useless, anyway—once he reaches the path he realizes that there isn’t even a spot to turn right, and instantly gives up. Whatever. Killua’s pretty sure he could bring back tree bark and they would all be satisfied. 

The teen is about to turn around and do just that; his gut disagrees with the idea, insisting that he takes a left and walks further into the forest. It looks harmless enough— _inviting_ , really, and Killua gets that same prickle on the back of his neck as when he’s being watched. It doesn’t feel threatening in the slightest, and Killua’s feet drag him in that direction without a conscious decision. He takes turns on autopilot, twisting and weaving through the underbrush and leaves with no idea where he’s going. Killua’s sure that he couldn’t find his way back if he tried. 

His legs slow when he reaches a small clearing. The white-haired boy blinks at the bright blue mushrooms littering the ground; in the center is a large rock on it which lays none other than Gon. His heart skips a beat at the sight. 

_Bastard._

“You!” Killua accuses, walking closer. Of what Gon’s being accused of, he’s not sure. 

“Me!” Gon responds with enthusiasm. His chin is cradled between two palms. “You found me!” 

Killua squats in front of the rock. He absent-mindedly plucks a mushroom out of the ground and sniffs it, wrinkling his nose. “Did I? I didn’t know I was looking for you in the first place.” 

“You’ve been following me, silly.”

He sends Gon a dirty look. The strangely beaconing aura while walking here makes sense now; so do the eyes following him the entire time. There’s a strong urge to call Gon out on it.

“You disappeared again,” Killua says instead. 

“Yup! Did you miss me?” Gon asks, repeating his question from hours ago with another unnaturally elongated smile. 

The teen would rather not give a response. His answer would probably be suspiciously close to a _maybe_ , which is too akin to _yes_. He picks another brightly colored mushroom and holds it just over Gon’s nose; the brunet moves higher to steal it out of Killua’s hands with his teeth. He grimaces at the taste and Killua finds himself grinning at the childish action.

“I need to bring these back to the party,” He supplies. “Leorio wants them.” 

Gon doesn’t seem all that surprised and Killua blinks, concluding that _no, he did not disappear again._ The little shit was probably floating around his white hair and shaping it with invisible hands the entire time, deciding to lead Killua to the mushrooms because he was there to hear the whole conversation. 

Killua feels a deep satisfaction at finally figuring a part of Gon out. 

“Well? Are you going to show me the way back? Help me carry some mushrooms, too.”

“Please,” Killua tacks on—an afterthought. 

The other teen tsks. “Ah, ah, ah. My services have not magically become free, silly. I’ll do it for-”

“A payment, I know,” The blond hurriedly interrupts. “What would you like? Another kiss?” 

Gon’s smile stretches even further, if possible, showing off pearly white teeth. Killua realizes too late that he just sounded _incredibly_ eager; the smug look on Gon’s face makes his skin want to crawl. 

“Hmm, I had something different in mind,” Gon denies. Killua tries not to visibly deflate at the admission. “Though you can kiss me whenever you’d like.” 

The blond flushes and scowls, knowing that he will actually consider the statement. Gon can read him _too_ easily; it’s unsettling. 

“I want you to wear something for the rest of your stay in Wonderland,” The teen continues. He snaps his fingers and a ring appears out of thin air. “It’s magic! It’ll keep you out of trouble if I’m not around, I promise.” 

Killua opens his palm and the ring gently floats down to rest in it. It’s a silver band with three large teal gemstones and strange symbols carved into its sides. The piece is undeniably beautiful. 

“That’s it? I just have to wear this?” 

Gon hums an affirmative and Killua slips it onto all of his digits. It’s a perfect fit for his ring finger, suspiciously, and Killua’s cheeks get red at the insinuation. He holds his hand up towards the sky to get a better look; it contrasts pleasantly with his pale skin. Gon seems wholly fascinated with it, staring with a mesmerizing sheen in his eyes.

“Mmm,” The brunet makes a satisfied and content sigh. “It looks perfect on you! _You’re_ perfect!” 

Killua doesn’t bother with a thank you, rosy cheeks an answer in and of itself; after a few minutes of silence Gon claps his hands with a giddy laugh. “Well then, let’s go!”

He lazily waves his hand and half of the clearings mushrooms fly up into the air, dancing through the winding path in a single file line. Gon and Killua follow it back to their parties table, now destroyed with icing and cake crumbs, and Gon lets each individual mushroom land on top of Leorio's head before bouncing off. 

Bisky nearly screams at the sight, her laugh sounding more like that of a hyena than human. She’s back to her tiny form, racing around the table so as to not get crushed by the raining fungi. Killua sits back down on his chair and allows the miniature girl to take refuge underneath his hands. There’s a slight pull on his newly-acquired piece of jewelry.

“Oh my-” Killua hears. “Why, is this- where did you get this ring?” 

He moves his hands a bit to see her better. “From Gon.” 

Bisky stamps her foot in irritation, her size making the thump sound like a mere tap. “Gon Freecss!” 

Kurapika and Leorio lean over to see what is happening, too, and both gasp when they notice the ring. Leorio punches the top of Gon’s shoulder and he clutches at the new injury with a hiss. Killua hears a muttered _you’re seventeen!_ And leans in to eavesdrop more, but Kurapika distracts him with a tug on his hand. 

The white-haired teen allows him to take a closer look with disbelieving eyes. Bisky sneaks up to take a peek, too. 

“Those are gorgeous gems,” She admits passionately. There are hearts in her eyes. Kurapika nods in agreeance, ignoring the brawl that started behind him. To Killua’s surprise, Gon seems to be losing. 

The two spend an extra minute staring at the ring, uncharacteristically contemplative and quiet. They glance at each other and shrug; Killua takes his hand back and fiddles with the jewelry. 

“Listen up!” Bisky calls over Gon’s desperate tapping on Leorio’s arm. The headlock looks borderline dangerous. “We need to start moving towards the castle. _Now,_ gentlemen!” 

“Wait, wait!” Killua rushes to get a word in. “What about the mushrooms? You didn’t even eat them!” 

Leorio finally lets go of Gon and the teen rolls to the ground, clutching his throat and wheezing. The Wonderland creatures all stare at each other for a second before bursting out into the loudest laughter yet, sounding more crazed by the second. Gon’s chuckles are raspy with a lack of oxygen. 

“I don’t even know why you got these!” Leorio chortles, wiping a tear that leaked from behind his sunglasses. “We all hate mushrooms!” 

Kurapika nods gravely. “It’s true. You must not know us very well.” 

Killua sits there for a second, taking in the situation. They all look extremely serious, despite their smiling faces; a stray mushroom falls into his hair from where they are still floating in the air. An incredulous huff of breath escapes his lips.

Everyone in Wonderland is fucking crazy.

  
  
  


* * *

  
  


True to his word, the ring Gon bestowed upon his ring finger _does_ keep him out of trouble. Even Morel, a tall, brutish man that seemingly has no care in the world stops dead in his tracks when he sees it. He exhales a shaky ring of smoke from his perch on a large leaf; it’s the first thing Killua has seen him be startled by. 

“Is something the matter?” The teen asks. He gestures towards the piece of jewelry. “You’re staring at this, right?” 

Morel nods in confirmation, taking another hit and blowing it directly into Killua’s face. The smell makes his eyes water and his nose want to run. 

“Surprised Gon gave you it, that’s all.” 

Killua’s eyes widened a bit; he never mentioned who it was from. He stares at the ring, with its beautiful green gemstones that look like it cost a fortune, and ponders for a second. 

“He said it would keep me out of danger,” Killua explains. 

“Of course it does,” Morel easily agrees. His smoke is starting to make everything blurry—Killua can hardly even see him anymore. He wants to wave it away but thinks that might be considered rude. “No one wants to mess with Cheshire’s fiance, after all.” 

The message takes a moment to set in. By the time it clicks and Killua screeches, Morel and his pipe have long since vanished into the night; the only evidence he was ever there at all is the foamy white smoke dissipating in the cool air. 

**Author's Note:**

> sorry i've been mia!! i'm not dead i swear lmfao
> 
> i wrote this all in one day like the heathen i am, so if it sounds rushed then just know it totally was. i had to finish it otherwise i would never pick it up again lol!! my beta read this over but i don't think she rly checked for mistakes, so if u catch any pls lmk!!
> 
> hopefully next time i post it'll be a bigger project!! i have so many wips rn hahah
> 
> come talk to me on [twitter!](https://twitter.com/beaniebbz)

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Positively wonderful.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29854788) by [Villages_offorests](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Villages_offorests/pseuds/Villages_offorests)




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